Seth Rollins Teaming Up with Paul Heyman at WWE WrestleMania Just Changed Everything
Four of the greatest of all time stepped into the main event of Night 1 of WrestleMania 41 and put on a match and story for the ages.
It’s only fitting that Seth Rollins, with the help of Paul Heyman, walked out the victor over both Roman Reigns and CM Punk.
Leaning into literal decades of storytelling, it just changed everything for WWE, too.
Both Rollins and Heyman have resembled ticking time bombs for years now. Rollins, the Architect who tore up The Shield, has been on the back-burner for guys like Cody Rhodes and was bound to erupt.
And Heyman, who has made a career of being a slimy snake who betrays the top dog after he senses they’re vulnerable, has been speculated by fans to jump to a Solo Sikoa, Bron Breakker or other “next big thing” for a long time.
It’s only fitting the two came together on Saturday night to put down Reigns and Punk in what was the least-predictable outcome possible.
The flipping of this dynamic blazes a predictable, must-see path from here. Rollins has again taken everything from Reigns. This time it's his Wise Man, the one right there keeping the Bloodline running for so long.
It positions The Tribal Chief as an underdog still with something to chase, and The Visionary can keep claiming he owns Reigns in the ring.
Punk is going to get cheered no matter what he does, but positioning him as an underdog as well sure doesn’t hurt. He will want revenge on Heyman and Rollins, but he isn't exactly buddy-buddy with Reigns, either.
Call this one heck of a reward for Rollins, too. He’s been an afterthought for years while WWE changed around him, grabbing at subtle character changes to no avail. Last year was the worst culprit of all when he was shoehorned into ‘Mania tag matches while The Rock and others took the spotlight.
Saturday night was a stark reminder he's the best on the planet in the ring right now and more than worthy of top billing. Now, it feels obvious he's going to run and grab Jey Uso's title pretty quickly, with the Jey-Heyman connection right there as an element, too.
Even if Rollins isn't bound for a top title soon, his running around with Heyman at his side will be straight-up sinister.
WWE loves its long-form storytelling. Rollins has proved himself against all the Paul Heyman Guys over the years. He’s got long-term staying power at the very top and now he's got a…Disciple (that fits after Advocate and Wiseman, right?) to pull the political strings behind the scenes for him.
Fans can't even be mad at Heyman moving forward, either. He's done this for decades. And how can anyone blame him for being tired of the two he just betrayed? Reigns traumatized him for years during the Bloodline saga. Punk literally abandoned him to retirement for nearly a decade, went to a competitor and then used him as essentially a prop to annoy The Tribal Chief.
If the crowd singing along to Rollins' theme song before he even secured the pin on Saturday night is any sign, fans aren't going to be too mad at Heyman or hold it against his newest chosen Superstar.
In fact, this is just about the perfect blueprint for modern WWE booking when it comes to long-term established fan favorites who don't really get boos from fans these days.
Rollins just won with double low-blow betrayals and was getting cheered, so connecting the decades-long dots on the character and storylines to produce these results is the best thing WWE can do.
From here, everything is on the table. Rollins going on a rampage, no matter what happens with Cody Rhodes and John Cena in the other top title scene, is obvious. Punk, looking for revenge on his friend while being called out for hypocrisy, will slap. So will Reigns pursuing yet another entry in the Shield saga.
Good thing, too, because WWE struggled on this build to 'Mania and most of Night 1 underwhelmed in front of a so-so live crowd. Four of the greatest ever was the highlight moment of the show that will live on for decades and dramatically change the next year-plus of the pro wrestling landscape.
WWE's Seth Rollins Is No Longer Settling for 2nd Place with Roman Reigns and CM Punk
Seth Rollins prepares to compete in his second consecutive WrestleMania main event appearance alongside his longtime rival and former stablemate, Roman Reigns.
The Visionary achieved his dream of headlining WWE's biggest show of the year last April. In the process, he sacrificed his body and put himself at a disadvantage in his world heavyweight championship match against Drew McIntyre.
However, his last act of selflessness paid off because he distracted Reigns long enough to help Cody Rhodes dethrone The Tribal Chief, ending his historic 1,316-day run. This incredible career highlight and two-night performance led many fans to consider Rollins the MVP of WrestleMania 40.
Still, the job wasn’t finished. Now, the self-proclaimed onscreen lead of the locker room could set his sights on CM Punk and attempt to expel him from the company once and for all.
Their bitter feud has become a detour for him since SummerSlam, but his tension with Reigns has always been bigger than any other opponent he has been linked with. See? This isn’t just about preventing his misuse of power; it’s about proving he has always been the top star WWE needs to lead it into the future.
A Binary Star System
That would mean he would need to expose the OTC and successfully step out of his shadow as the perennial superstar of his generation. Their competitive sibling rivalry and unresolved animosity are integral to both characters.
So much so that the unfinished business from their 2022 showdown at Royal Rumble ensured that they would continue to cross paths for years to come. The memorable opening match proved that Rollins was one of the few wrestlers who got under Reigns’ skin and forced him to act irrationally.
That’s largely because the infamous chairshot that ended The Shield forever linked them and set them on their respective paths to success as single competitors. The five-time world champion has been a constant for WWE over the last few years.
Nevertheless, Rollins inadvertently ignited the rise of the most prevalent star of his era and inspired the creation of The Bloodline and his most dominant run of his career. His ambition and need to stand out ironically produced his most persistent obstacle.
The 38-year-old became the “Macho Man” Randy Savage to his Hulk Hogan, a prominent superstar who could never escape the shadow of a more popular peer. In fact, he has made this comparison himself during his 2022 interview with Ariel Helwani.
During the same interview, he lamented that he has never been “THE guy.” It’s impossible not to consider how much Reigns’ prestigious career has affected his time in the limelight.
A Single-Minded Goal To Be Number One
Heading into WrestleMania 41, Rollins has been the driving force behind one of the most star-studded triple-threat matches in the history of the event. His disgust for CM Punk and his attempt to return to WWE with no consequences for his controversial exit and years of vitriol for the company is fairly clear-cut.
Aligning with Reigns and Paul Heyman at Survivor Series: WarGames merely validated his belief that The Second City Saint can’t be trusted. However, this is still about his resentment for the Tribal Chief and the tyranny he ushered in as champion.
That’s why he brutally stomped him out at Royal Rumble and effectively kept him out of the world title picture. Similarly, it’s why he detests the idea of Punk weaseling his way into the main event for the first time in his career.
Simply put, he believes he has worked too hard to settle for second place to Reigns, or even worse, a man who turned his back on WWE in 2014. Rollins still thinks he’s the rightful savior the company needs right now.
This thought process has motivated everything he has done since he became the Monday Night Messiah. Now, the question remains: what will he do to make a statement and guarantee that the Tribal Chief will never regain power?
Could he do the unthinkable and align himself with Heyman to stop him from helping his greatest enemies and claim the top spot for himself? Will he leave Allegiant Stadium as the man he set out to be or fall behind again? Time will tell, but what a compelling story.
Dream WrestleMania 41 Matches WWE Is Denying Fans
For many fans, the build to WrestleMania 41 has been disappointing, with WWE's storytelling under Triple H in recent months leaving many fans yearning for the days of Vince McMahon.
Instead of getting meaningless Triple Threat matches and a midcard strategy that could be deemed passing at best, WWE Creative should have booked dream bouts hardcore wrestling fans would actually enjoy.
Here are the real dream matches Triple H should have booked for WrestleMania 41.
The Rock vs. Roman Reigns
WWE has teased tension between The Rock and his cousin, Roman Reigns, for years, dating back to their awkward reaction following the latter's win at the 2015 Royal Rumble.
The Bloodline storyline has been front and center in WWE in recent years, but the company wrongly decided to move away from it during the most critical time of the year. Instead of booking Reigns in a meaningless three-way battle, he should be taking on The Final Boss.
Reigns is a consistent main event performer who has taken the opportunities WWE presented and run with them. Even if he wins against CM Punk and Seth Rollins at WrestleMania 41, there is no growth for his character.
Reigns should be battling The Rock for the top spot in the family. The two men appeared to be on a collision course in all their previous interactions, and failing to capitalize on that momentum at WrestleMania 41 was criminal.
CM Punk vs. John Cena
When booking dream matches, one major caveat is that it's a first-time meeting. In this case, though, a newly heel John Cena should be taking on fan favorite CM Punk in the main event in Las Vegas this weekend.
Punk and Cena have a storied history, with the Summer of Punk and his win at Money in the Bank 2011 being one of the best moments in company history. This time, though, the meeting would see the roles reversed.
Triple H and Co. should have booked Punk to beat Cody Rhodes for the Undisputed WWE Championship at the Royal Rumble, setting up the eventual bout between Cena and the new titleholder on Sunday at Allegiant Stadium.
What better way for Cena to win his 17th world championship than by beating Punk at WrestleMania and leaving through the crowd, just as Punk did to Cena all those years ago?
Rhea Ripley vs. Stephanie Vaquer
On paper, Iyo Sky defending her Women's World Championship against Rhea Ripley and Bianca Belair should be an incredible match, but the storyline leading into it has been lackluster at best.
Belair was heavily involved in a tag team with Naomi and Jade Cargill, while Ripley spent much of the last year tied up in a story featuring The Judgment Day. At the last moment, Triple H gives the title to Sky and shoehorns Belair into the equation.
For wrestling fans who favor better storytelling, this Triple Threat misses the mark.
Ripley should never have lost the championship to Sky and should instead be facing NXT Superstar Stephanie Vaquer.
Not only would the battle better highlight Vaquer and the entire NXT brand, but it would also give fans a matchup they've never seen before.
Ripley and Belair deserve so much better at WrestleMania.
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WWE Hot Take: WrestleMania 41 Match Card Is Shaping Up to Be a Massive Disappointment
WWE’s WrestleMania 41 appears to be top-heavy to an extreme degree, to the point of concern.
Things look amazing at the very top thanks to John Cena’s decades-in-the-making heel turn as he (allegedly) wraps up his pro wrestling career.
But the rest of the known and projected ‘Mania match card feels like a minimal-interest disaster.
Feel free to start right at the top with the Triple Threat featuring Roman Reigns, CM Punk and Seth Rollins. It sounds like an amazing match that should have plenty of incredible storytelling moments given the in-ring psychology of all involved, including Paul Heyman.
But as a whole? It’s not escaping the typical WWE allegations when it comes to jamming as many names as possible into multi-man matches at ‘Mania. It feels like the less-than-ideal way to finally get Punk and Rollins an actual ‘Mania main event—especially when compared to what any of the three being involved in a solo feud with each other could have been.
As a result, the build has been messy (the “favor’ even sort of underwhelmed). It’s hard not to think about what a Seth-Punk feud could have been on its own, or Seth-Roman finally settling things once and for all.
The Bloodline, by the way, is mostly totally absent and ruined. Solo Sikoa is off in no man’s land. It feels like The Rock is a major point of blame here. His on-and-off again status is insufferable. It started at Raw’s debut on Netflix, where he awkwardly wrote himself out of storylines, then re-inserted himself for Cena’s heel turn, only to disappear again.
We can rapid-fire much of the rest, right?
That Tiffany Stratton-Charlotte Flair feud that should be a passing-of-the-torch moment has gone off the rails with awkward promos.
Over with the Women's World Championship, the Iyo Sky, Bianca Belair and Rhea Ripley Triple Threat match has been equally perplexing, especially with Belair somehow getting booed by live audiences.
Then we have the total derailment of Drew McIntyre, who went from Brock Lesnar-defeating and company-headling juggernaut to yet another showdown with Damian Priest, whose stock has predictably cratered.
Though it’s easy to do so, try not to forget about Gunther vs. Jey Uso for the former’s world heavyweight title. Gunther’s reign has underwhelmed and Jey got the Royal Rumble win for winning over live audiences, but it’s a retread of a match and feud where there’s really no good result.
Other apparently planned matches include the US title showdown between LA Knight and Jacob Fatu, though The Street Profits apparently won’t get to defend their tag titles.
Matches aimed at letting audiences rest between bigger matches (ie, tempo matches) include Rey Mysterio vs. El Grande Americano and Jade Cargill vs. Naomi, to name just two. And the big sort of part-time spectacle is…Logan Paul taking on AJ Styles.
WWE can’t take direct blame for the injury that will keep Kevin Owens off the card, of course. But somebody like Randy Orton took far too long to get into a must-see feud for the event. And of the many notable names without anything going on this ‘Mania season, Becky Lynch reigns above all.
This all really begs the question: What does this ‘Mania have going for it without the Cena heel turn?
Because even with it, the current build and card flirt with feeling like a mostly standard episode of Raw, or perhaps the card one might find on a much lesser PLE. The fault rests in many places, but it’s written all over the path traveled, with highlights being Rock’s status, booking decisions like Jey, veering away from Reigns/Bloodline and so much more.
This isn’t to say ‘Mania won’t be a success. In a funny twist, the lukewarm expectations created by the outlook help in this regard, as jumping over the low bar should be pretty simple.
But it is uncanny that the strong suit of the Triple H era had been long-term booking and sensible storytelling steadily building hype to the biggest events, only for it to fall off a cliff this year.
Of course, wrestling fans will watch ‘Mania regardless and the name recognition will lure in plenty of non-hardcore fans no matter what—but that’s not really the point, nor an excuse for how we got here, is it?